Car-coupling



(No Model.) 3

G. S. MAYNARD.

GAR COUPLING. No. 332,353. Patented Dec. 15, 1885.

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UNITED STATES ATENT rrrcn.

CHARLES STUART MAYNARD, OF PAW PAIV, MICHIGAN.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 332,353, dated December15, 1885.

Application filed August 29, 1885. Serial No. 175,096. No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES S. MAYNARD, a citizen of the United States,residing at Paw Paw, county of Van Buren, State of Michigan, haveinvented new and useful Car-Couplings, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to carcouplings in which the ordinary orcommonly-employed draw-heads, coupling-pins, links, and autoInatically-operating means for supporting and releasing the pin are usedin conjunction with each other; and it has for its object certainimprovements in construction and arrangement designed to facilitate theoperation, all substantially as below described and claimed.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is alongitudinal section through the center of the draw-heads, the couplingmeans being in side elevation, except the ends of the link and pinsupports, which are also in section; Fig. 2, an enlarged longitudinaland horizontal central section of one of the draw-heads, looking on topof thelink and its support; Fig. 3, a top view of details in Fig. 2,showing the end of the link and pin support in horizontal section; andFig. 4 is a side elevation of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, Bare the commonly-employed draw-heads; L, the link, and Pthecoupling-pin,which passes down through a vertical hole of the head andthrough the loop end of the link. The automatic supports for the pin 1?which I employ are shown at D. Such supports have heretofore beenemployed playing endwise under a spring pressure or control; but it willbe observed that Ihave peculiarly adapted them for supporting the pin Pand guiding the same in its descent, and that I have also so formed thesupports D that they, when under spring-pressure, support the link in ahorizontal position, when coupled with one of the heads, to enter theother head when the cars which are to be coupled come together.

In Figs. 1 and 2, t is a hollow cavity, in which the lower end of thepin P rests when supported by the support D. (See left-hand part of Fig.1.) This prevents danger of the pin tilting over out of a true verticalposition from being top-heavy. This recess registers with or opens intoa central vertical groove, S, in the end of the support D, which the pinfollows in its descent, thus guiding it through the loop of the link andthrough the lower pin-hole in the head. In the under side, at the end ofthe support D, is formed a halfround and concave recess conforming tothe contour of the end of the link, the lower confine of this recesscoming well under the end of the link. (See right of Fig. 1.) By thismeans, when the end of the link L is coupled with the head B, as hereshown, with the pin P down, the expansive pressure of the spring 0against the lugs e of the support D causes such a pressure of the wallsof the recess r against the end of the link and such a pressure of thelink against the pin P that the link is supported in the horizontalposition shown in Fig. 1, ready to enter the approaching head at theleft of said figure and automatically couple with it. As the draw-headat the left approaches and comes in contact with the free end of thesupported link the concussion forces the support D back from under thesupported pin, and the pin freed from the recess t falls downwardthrough the guide-groove S, as before explained. The recess r inreceiving the free end of the link performs still another office-that ofpreventing the free end of the link from being tilted Vertically orlaterally out of position when the cars come together and the end of thelink comes in contact with the end of the support D.

In Fig. l, a are levers fulcrumed in the upper wall of the head B, theirlower ends, which extend into the chamber of said draw-head, formingengagement with the upper side of the supports D by insertion betweenthe lugs e o. By this means the supports D are forced back and held whendesiring to pull the coupling-pins to uncouple the cars or to remove thelink L.

Having thus described my improvements, what I claim as new is- 1 In acar-coupling employing the ordinary draw-head, coupling-pin, and link, asliding block which is forced forward under springpressure, having inits forward end an open transverse recess to receive and sustain thelink in a horizontal position by the clamping of the end of thelinkbetween the pin and the walls of the recess, and a lever to release saidclamping of parts to free the pin, substantially as set forth.

I In testimony of the foregoing'I have hereunto subscribed my namein'presence of two Witnesses.

CHARLES STUART MAYNARD.

Witnesses:

EDWIN M. RUssELL, A. ROBINSON.

